User Actions

Baked Hawaiian Islands

Classic baked Alaska is turned on its head with these individual desserts from Elizabeth Falkner of San Francisco's Citizen Cake. Coconut, pineapple, passion fruit, and a rum-soaked sorbet lend a tropical twist. To save time, use store-bought pineapple sorbet.

Ingredient info:Unsweetened shredded coconut is sold at specialty foods stores and at natural foods stores. Xanthan gum adds an extra-creamy texture to the meringue; it's sold at better supermarkets, natural foods stores, and bobsredmill.com.

Advertisements

Preparation

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2" metal baking pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, oil, and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in coconut. Using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold into batter just to blend. Pour into prepared pan and bake until puffed, lightly golden, and a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack (cake may fall slightly).

For sorbet:

Set a strainer over a large bowl; set aside. Combine pineapple, sugar, and 3 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Purée in a blender until smooth. Pour through strainer; press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stir in rum and lime juice. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

For macadamia Nuts (if using):

Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir in nuts. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain, then transfer nuts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cook until golden and roasted, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

Invert cake onto a work surface; peel off parchment. Using a ramekin as a guide, cut cake into 6 rounds, so that each will fit into an 8-ounce ramekin.

Working with 1 ramekin at a time, spoon 3/4 cup sorbet into ramekin; smooth top and place 1 cake round over, pressing to adhere; immediately transfer to freezer. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Freeze for 4 hours.

Run a thin knife around 1 ramekin. Invert onto a work surface. Spread 1 scant cup meringue over top and sides of cake with an offset spatula. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining cakes and meringues; add each to rimmed baking sheet in freezer. DO AHEAD: Assembled cakes can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Transfer cakes on sheet pan to oven. Bake until meringue is toasted, 1-2 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer cakes to plates. Spoon passion fruit juice and pulp around plate. Sprinkle lime zest over meringue. Garnish with macadamia nuts, if using.

Tags:

Recent Reviews

I Found a Great site to purchase Hawaiian Island Favorites at www.hawaiianfoodonline.com
www.hawaiianfoodonline.mobi

keithevanovich from Las Vegas /

Flag if Inappropriate

I had to make this because I'd been eyeing it since it was published. Despite the two reviews, which both seem a little imbecilic to me, this was a great dish. I'm surprised more haven't tried it, but in a way it points to the sad absence of baked Alaska in modern cooking. Adapting it for an island tropical flavor is BRILLIANT...perfect for a small dinner party on a lazy warm weekend. I opted to make the sorbet...DO THIS! It's great, and really only takes ten minutes of active time. The rest is freezing and allowing to set. Note - I made the sorbet as instructed, but used 2/3 fresh pineapple and 1/3 mango. It's what I had, and I felt it really mellowed the sorbet into an irresistible tropical medley. The cake is a very French meringue cake (albeit with coconut). I followed the recipe exactly, but when I make this again I'll try to concoct something to slightly soak the cake with...as the French like to do. Perhaps something with coconut, rum and lime undertones. It was pretty easy to make these, the real challenge being getting them formed and out of the molds (biscuit cutters would be better to freeze these in, since you can then pop them out easier). But after a little effort, BAM. Just cook them long enough so that the sorbet just begins to melt, and you'll have the perfect dessert. Cold and warm, creamy and cakey, tropical, sweet and oh-so-awesome.

davey1107 from Los Angeles /

Flag if Inappropriate

Where is the passion fruit?

A Cook from New York /

Flag if Inappropriate

Lot of work.....and the end result was not very tasty, plus it's totally frozen....not sure how to make it work.